When the world

seems uncertain

There are times when it’s useful to

Think like an animal—like now

When you smell that peculiar

Sense of fear running through veins,

People get furious over stupid things

Or weep when alone at night.

One friend said, “I want to go home.”

But where is home when the world

Seems on fire, wolves circling in shadows

As incompetence sits upon the throne….

Who can we blame? The Chinese?

Russians? Italians? Gay people?

When darkness seems pandemic,

It’s tempting to allow the heart to harden,

Feel constriction of hatred,

Make wager that fear will win.

Finally, I paused and then laughed,

Walked out under full moon.

Begging the light to take me back,

Slowly absurdity of hope

Began to dawn in the east.

How long will I allow myself

To be enslaved by my own fear?

Even as a nomad in exile, I still have a calling.

Fred H. Turpin

18 Lakeview Drive, March 27, 2020